Recent content by Danny1962

Those crystals could well be the chalky cystoliths. Chalk is commonly used in pharmaceuticals, both as a medicine in itself and also as a binder/filler for pills. It's also used as a food additive (E170). Nobody has ever suggested that it is harmful when consumed in moderation under these...

The internet has many references to nettle leaves developing cystoliths as the plant matures. I'm sure this much is true. The internet also has many references to these cystoliths causing urinary tract and kidney irritation. However I have not found any explanation for how this actually...

A few weeks ago I washed a poly/cotton jacket and then treated it with a spray-on waterproofing agent (from an aerosol can which I'd got from Aldi). Yesterday I was doing my ironing, and decided to tidy the pocket flaps of this jacket as the edges were turning up. So I ironed them flat. The...

Sounds like an interesting plan, Zig Zag. By the look of it you'd need to be careful where you make the cut -- too near the neck and it will expose the hood's storage area. You'd also lose the drawstring and the inner pocket, as they are both attached to the lining. I'm not going to try this on...

I have had a go at dyeing desert camo, and I'm happy with the results. The smock went into the washing machine with 1 pack of dark brown Dylon and the salt. The 3 shirts went in with 1 pack of olive green Dylon and the salt. The camo pattern doesn't go away, it still shows through the dyed...

Yes, these are exactly the shirts. £10 each looks quite pricey for used shirts. I'm sure I've seen them new at that price recently, or not much more. Note the sizing options, much more flexibility than civvie sizing as it uses both girth and length as variables. I'm not going to attempt to dye...

Oh, I've only just noticed this. I am a week too late for the Jan meeting but will try and make the Feb meeting. I can't promise to be there though, as there's some major and exciting stuff going on in my private life at the moment (all in a good way) and I really have no idea what my routine...

I wonder if anyone else on this forum likes Soldier 95 British Forces desert shirts like I do. They are one of my favourite general purpose garments, they are great for the outdoors and also as a general workshirt. I have several of them. Here's why I like them: They are well made, high...

I got an Austrian Army M65 jacket as a Christmas present from my wife. It's in as-new condition, bought from Surplus and Outdoors for £40. In the left hand pocket I found a sheet of paper written in German and in Slovak, detailing the quality control final inspection and dated August 1994. I...

Yes, I should have been more precise here. The methanol is already present at the start of the distillation process, and distilling doesn't create it. Looking again at some of the resources I'd gathered in the past, I noticed a suggestion that creating your mash from molasses produces a lower...

Definitely +1 to the unleavened chappati or the soda bread method if working outdoors and/or at lower temperatures. I make a lot of bread at home, I tend to use only enough yeast to permit a slow, overnight rise followed by a 1 or 2 hour prove in a warm room. Too much yeast (meaning enough to...

By all means ferment it to make a beer or wine, but I wouldn't try distilling it. Five reasons: 1) It's illegal to do this in the UK 2) Home made stills do have a tendency to explode on occasions, if the pressure builds up too much. Anyone standing nearby will get sprayed with boiling and...

What a fascinating thread! I remember once hearing that the navy beans that go into a well known brand of baked beans are only grown around the Great Lakes area of North America. A discount supermarket I often use sources their own brand baked beans from Italy. There must be a vast area under...

Making Sauerkraut is a traditional way of preserving cabbage without refrigeration, it is also very healthy as it introduces beneficial bacteria into the gut. It tastes far better than the shop-bought sauerkraut. It relies on fermentation of the sugar in the cabbage whilst it is submerged in a...

And here's how the combat jacket looks after the treatment, two sachets of dark green dye were used. The camera was about 2 metres away. https://plus.google.com/photos/110055669501444994025/albums/6083486943131794161/6083871015061018946?pid=6083871015061018946&oid=110055669501444994025 I'm...